In 2017 there was a report that 85% of veterinary professionals had felt threatened by clients who were angry at the cost of treatment. Things have not improved since, with intimidating behaviour on the rise during the pandemic.
Interestingly, when articles appear in the media highlighting the threats faced by veterinary professions, they are usually inundated with more angry and aggressive comments about the cost of vet bills. A common mantra we hear is: if we really loved animals, we would do it for free.
The problem is that there is an inevitable tension between the fact that veterinary professionals really do love animals – so deeply that they remain in a profession where depression, burn out and suicide is four times the national average – and the fact that, like it or not, veterinary practices are a business and need income to survive.
There is no National Health Service for animals. The National Health Service, although crippled by government cuts, is an international success. The UK medical profession provides free care at the point of use, and does so brilliantly. But the NHS has made the UK public less cognisant of the true cost of providing high quality medical care.
When it comes to animal care, vets bear the brunt of this, like when we are faced with an owner who wants to do everything for their pet, but who has no money to do so. It is a frustrating and upsetting situation for both the owner and the practice. There can be a mix of emotions at this stage – guilt for not being financially prepared for such an event, mixed with worry for the pet’s health, and it often leads to owners pressurising veterinary professionals, and seemingly more commonly being abusive when we can’t provide our service for free.
Justifiably expensive?
There is no doubt that providing medical care for our pets is costly, but are they unfairly expensive?
Vet fees are, as in most businesses, unregulated. It is an open market. Vets are extraordinarily busy, they don’t necessarily need to compete for business (most are overworked and far over capacity), but they do need to provide competitive services to owners. This means that in a given area owners can shop around, so practices cannot raise fees to the point where they would lose substantial trade. As a result, locally, you are likely to be getting a fair price.
Having said that, prices do fluctuate between practices, and the reason for this is not simple. It is not necessarily that one is better than the other, or that one is ripping you off. Each practice does things differently, each practice has different protocols and overheads, and therefore prices vary. One practice may have a brand-new dental X-Ray, and a veterinary dental specialist on the team, and therefore may put their prices higher than those without. This isn’t an unfair thing to do. You are paying for expertise, equipment, consumables, drugs, anaesthesia and for the highly qualified Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) who look after your pet – as well as the amazing reception and auxiliary staff that keep the practice afloat.
If you are unsure about a bill, the best thing to do is ask the practice. You as an owner cannot be expected to understand why your pet needed three different medications before their surgery, followed by another four throughout and another two afterwards. Looking at a bill with hundreds of names of things you don’t understand can easily look like you are being ripped off. Instead of assuming there is unfair charging, just ask. We know why we did it. We can give you full justification as to why each drug was used. In the end, you will probably realise that medical care is actually much more complex than you initially expected – and value the NHS even more.
Breaking down the costs
So where does your money go? When breaking down your bill it’s important to know a few things. Veterinary care is expensive to provide but it’s not the staff that end up with their pockets lined.
Vets are not loaded. The veterinary profession quite frankly has relatively poor salaries compared to the level of knowledge and qualification required. Vet’s salaries are less than GPs, doctors or dentists. RVNs are substantially less – a recent campaign to raise a corporate RVN salary to £30K caused quite the shock!
Veterinary clinics have teams of highly trained individuals, all of which need yearly registration with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, costing hundreds of pounds; we have Continued Professional Development (CPD) to undertake, insurance to take out, practice overheads, expensive medical equipment, high standards of sanitation, drugs, consumables, salaries and day-to-day running costs.
Broadly speaking, a bill is split as follows: 20% to the government in VAT; 20% to RVNS, receptionists and support staff; 20% to the cost of drugs and consumables; 20% to the building running; and 20% to the Vet as their income. This changes over time and within each practice, but the main take home message is: if the cost of living goes up for you, it also is going up for veterinary practices and veterinary professionals.
What can you do?
So, what can you do? Firstly, it should be noted that pets bring people so much joy. There is evidence that they provide both physical and mental benefits to our health, and therefore veterinary professionals would love for everyone to have the ability to experience the joy of pet ownership. However, we also need to be aware that these animals are a privilege to own, and they depend on you as the owner to provide for their needs. It is not anyone else’s responsibility but yours.
Veterinary practices will work within your budget to relieve pain and suffering, but if you expect your pet to have all investigations and treatment then you should be financially prepared to fund them. Pets enrich our lives, but there is no NHS for pets – so it’s not a shock that veterinary care costs.
We encourage everyone to be financially prepared for pets. Call your vets and find out how much pets cost to maintain, call and ask how much preventative health care costs, call and ask for advice on insurance. Make sure you always have reserves or a backup plan for if your pet should be injured or sick. Don’t support unethical breeding of sick animals, and don’t encourage the breeding of animals whose breed or conformation is intrinsically linked to poor health.
Veterinary professionals are some of the most passionate, hardworking and diligent professionals – they care deeply about your animals. Veterinary bills are often costly, but they are also often representative of the sheer skill, knowledge and expertise of the professionals and practice that support your pets’ health and welfare needs – and that is something to be thankful for.
